Platform rocking chair



June 3, 1941.

M. FOX

PLATFORM ROCKING CHAIR Filed May 13, 1940 Patented June 3, 1941 'i' FFICE PLATFORM ROCKING CHAIR Martin Fox, Chicago, 11]., assignor to The Song Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 13, 1940, Serial No. 334,878

9 Claims.

My invention is an improvement in rocking chairs of that type in which the chair is mounted for rocking movement on a supporting base or platform with interposed springs for ease of operation by the occupant.

To provide for resilient movement of the chair on the stationary supporting base it is a common practice to employ a pairof opposing helical springs at approximately the center of each rocker connected at their ends to attaching plates secured to the chair and supporting base respectively, and although the springs provide the required resiliency the action of the springs, due to their compactness, imparts a short jerky motion that is objectionable to a more or less cupant in the operation of the chair but also impart anew rocking sensation inherent in the particular construction of metal fixtures forming the subject matter of this application.

With these principal objects in view my invention contemplates the provision of a swinging rail yieldingly supported by the base or platform and to which the center springs supporting the chair are attached, for augmenting the action of the center springs, all as hereinafter fully described and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through the lower portion of the frame of a platform supported rocking chair constructed in accordance withmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 44 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the metal fixture, including a modified form of auxiliary spring.

My improvements are applied to a conventional type of platform rocking chair in which the seat frame It is provided with curved strips H attached to the inner sides of the side pieces of the seat frame to form the rockers below which the side pieces depend, while the platform or supporting base is made up of side pieces l2 connected by crosspieces I3, 14, and in connectionwith the seat frame and platform there is a pair of springs for yieldingly supporting the chair on the platform. The pair of supporting springs is of that well known type employing strong helical springs I 5, l5 secured at their ends to spaced apart plates IE, IS by which the spring device is attached to the platform and rocker at approximately the center of the latter, and when the compactly wound springs are connected directly to the platform a short jerky motion isimparted to the chair during the rocking of the same, caused by the rocking motion being stopped abruptly in both directions on complete contraction of the springs alternately. To overcome this objection in the use of-supporting springs of this type I have developed certain elements of construction, hereinafter described, which are usable in connection therewith for imparting a smooth, easy motion in the rocking of the chair back and forth.

' In carrying out my invention the upper edge of each side piece of the supporting base or platform is inclined upwardly from the rear end thereof, as shown in the drawing, and in association with this form of platform I employ supporting rails H to which the aforementioned spring device is attached, each rail being located at the inner side of the adjoining side piece and pivoted thereto at its forward end, with the rear end of said rail supported in raised position by a springeither a helical spring l8 (Figs. 1 to 3) or a bow spring l9 (Fig. 5). The supporting rail is preferably in the form of an angle-bar, with the horizontal member overlying the side piece of the platform, and instead of pivoting this rail directly to the platform a bearing plate 26 is employed through which the pivot pin 2! passes. the lower inwardly bent end of the plate being pierced to receive attaching screws 22 by which it is attached to the adjoining side piece of the supporting base or platform. By this arrangement the supporting rail has a swinging movement on the side piece of the platform, and to limit this movement in both directions the bearing plate is provided with a vertical slot 23 through which projects a headed stop pin or stud 24 from the supporting rail.

The elements of construction constituting my invention are preferably securely connected together so as to form a unitary structure or metal fixture that can be readily and conveniently attached to the rocker of the chair and supporting base or platform, it being understood that similar fixtures are located at each side of the rocking chair, Consequently, in addition to connecting the bearing plate to the supporting rail permanently by means of the headed pins 2|, 24, the lower plate of the spring device is secured to the rail by rivets 25, and when a bow spring shown in Fig. 5 is employed it also is permanently attached to the rail by a rivet 26. In attaching the fixture at either side of the chair, the hearing plate carrying the supporting rail and spring devices is secured to the side piece of the platform at the forward end thereof directly in the rear of the crosspiece l3with the forward. end of the horizontal flange of the rail slightly above the side piece of the platformand after posi- "at the rear ends of the rails to accomplish the desired rocking motion of the chair on the platform.

In operation, the resiliency of the pivoted supporting rails in connection withthe resiliency of the spring devices at the center of the rocker provides an easy rocking motion possessing a novel smoothness quite different from that eX- perienced when the spring device is secured directly to the side pieces of the supporting base or platform; that is to say, in rocking the chair backward and forward the springs connected directly to the chair and the springs acting on the rails operate in succession to effect the peculiar rocking motion inherent in the particular construction and arrangement of parts.

I claim:

1. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, a rail pivoted to the platform for swinging movement and to which the springs are connected for resiliently supporting the chair on the rail, and a spring interposed between the rail and platform for resiliently supporting the rail on the platform to cooperate with the aforementioned springs in producing a smooth rocking motion.

2. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of a pair of opposing springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, a rail pivoted at one end to the platform for swinging movement and to which the pair of springs is connected for resiliently supporting the chair on the rail, and a spring interposed between the platform and rail to cooperate with the aforementioned springs in producing a smooth rocking motion.

3. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, an angle bar pivoted to a side piece of the platform for swinging movement, with the horizontal member of the rail overlying said side piece, the aforementioned springs being connected to said angle bar for resiliently supporting the chair on the rail, and a spring interposed between the platform and rail to cooperate with the aforementioned springs in producing a smooth rocking motion.

4. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, an angle bar pivoted at its forward end to a side piece of theplatform for swinging movement, with the horizontal member of the angle bar overlying the side piece of the platform, said springs being attached to the angle bar for resiliently supporting the chair thereon, and a spring interposed between the platform and outer end of the angle bar to cooperate with the aforementioned springs at the center of the rocker in producing a smooth rocking motion.

5. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, a rail pivoted to the platform for swinging movement and to which the springs are connected for resiliently supporting the chair on the rail, a spring interposed between the rail and platform for resiliently supporting the rail on the platform, and means for limiting the swinging movement of th rail.

6. The combination with the supporting platform and seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of springs attached to the rocker at the center portion thereof, an angle bar pivoted at its forward end to a side piece of the platform for swinging movement, with the horizontal member of the angle barvoverlying said side piece, the aforementioned springs being connected to the angle bar for resiliently supporting the chair thereon, a spring interposed between the platform and outer end of the angle bar, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the angle bar.

7. The combination with the supporting platformand seat of a rocking chair, the seat structure including a rocker, of a bearing plate attached to the platform at the forward end thereof, a rail pivoted'to the bearing plate for swinging movement thereof, a pin and slot for limiting the swinging movement of the rail, and a spring interposed between the rail and platform for resilientlysupporting the rail; together with springs attached to the rocker and rail at the center portion of the rocker, whereby the rail and supporting springs effect a smooth easy rooking motion of the chair on the platform.

8. A metal fixture for platform rocking chairs comprising a rail on which the rocker of the chair is adapted to rest, a bearing plate for attaching the rail to the platform and to which said rail is pivoted for swinging movement, springs attached to the rail at approximately the center portion thereof, a spring attached to the rail at the end opposite its pivotal connection to the bearing plate, said spring having means for connecting th same to the platform, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the rail.

9. A metal fixture for platform rocking chairs comprising an angle bar on which the rocker of the chair is adapted to rest, a bearing plate for attaching the angle bar to the platform and to which said angle bar is pivoted at its forward end for swinging movement, a pin projecting from :the angle bar through a slot in the plate for limiting the swinging movement of the angle bar, a pair of opposing springs attached to the angle bar at the center portion thereof for connecting said angle bar to the rocker, and an auxiliary spring attached to the'angle bar and having means for connecting the same to the platform of the rocker.

MARTIN FOX. 

